From the Archives, October 11, 2011: UAF gets put to the test

Last week, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) became one of the first ac- credited institutions to be evaluated under a new set of standards recently implemented by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). e evaluation is a check-up on the university, a form of quality control, according to Joseph Fedock, the evaluation team’s chairman. Now, every seven years the entire university comes under the commission’s scrutiny so it can keep its accreditation.

“Your ability to receive federal nancial aid is tied to your university’s accreditation standard,” evaluator Anneliese Ripley said. She is the dean of Outreach and Research at the University of Montana-Western.

This group of evaluators gathered information in various ways. They factored in

student, staff and public opinion, tying in statistics like UAF’s graduation rate.

The team offered students and staff the opportunity to share opinions and concerns about the university in meetings Oct. 3 and 4th. The team led panel discussions on campus, taking questions and receiving responses in separate staff and student meetings. The commission also invited the public to comment, provided they submitted their insights and concerns by Sept. 5.

In a faculty and staff meeting, the evaluators asked employees whether they have the resources to fulfill the themes and goals of the university. Some employees said they need to buy their own office supplies, including pens and sticky notes.

Evaluators in the student meeting asked about the quality of student resources and advising. Four students attended the meeting. Back and forth dialogue continued between evaluators and students for a full hour.

“I have nieces and nephews who might be considering UAF in their future, so it concerned me when I heard we had accreditation evaluators on campus,” 66-year-old Charlotte Yates said. Yates takes classes at the university.

The presence of these evaluators isn’t a negative reflection UAF. While it gives faculty and students the opportunity to voice their opinion, this process is part of a standard procedure.

“Institutions are required to go through this full-scale evaluation to assess the insti- tution according to standards,” Fedock said.

Accreditation evaluators explained that the new seven-year cycle would allow the commission to provide UAF with some suggestions. roughout the cycle the com- mission would check in to assess the uni- versity’s progress toward the recommended goals. Fedock presented the evaluators’ rec- ommendations to the university in the Davis Concert Hall Oct. 5. NWCCU will evaluate progress throughout the seven-year cycle.